Game apparatus



(No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet 1.

F. L. DECKER. GAME APPARATUS.

No. 561,869. Patented June 9, 1896.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

F. L. DECKER.

GAME APPARATUS.

PATENT" FRANK "L. DECKER, OF LESTERSHIRE, NEW YORK.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 561,869, dated June 9,1896. Application filed September 30, 1895. Serial No. 564,162. Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK L. DECKER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Les tershire, in the county ofBroome and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Game Apparatus, which improvement is fully set forth in the followingspecification and accompanying drawin gs. My invention relates to gameapparatus; and its object is to provide a novel construction of the samewhich is adapted for social entertainment and diversion, and beingreadily available for a great variety of games requiring more or lessskill in their performance the device is peculiarly adapted for theamusement of young people or all others who may desire recreation ratherthan games which demand special dexterity or trained judgment.

he. invention consists in the novel construction and combination ofparts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of a gameapparatus constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section of the same on the line a; to, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is across-section on the line y 3 Fig. 1.

In the said drawings the reference-letter A designates a cylindricalbox, which may be made of strong cardboard, sheet metal, or othersuitable material, provided with a horizontal bar 13, extending fromfront to rear thereof. Located in said box and supported by said bar isa horizontal partition consisting of a disk. a, of cardboard or othersuitable material, having a radial slot from its center to the frontend, so that it can be bent down past the bar B, so as to slopeto thefront end of the box. The rear portion of the partition slopes from thesaid. bar toward the rim of the box, forming two side sections 0 and (Z.

The numeral 3 designates a ball trough or channel, consisting of aninclined strip in an approximately horizontal plane, extending from thecenter to the front end of the box. The said trough at its inner end isformed with an extension 6, which is bent down at each side of thecenter line, forming inclined wings 7. The strip 3 is which extend upabove the strip 3 and which also extend below the same, forming wings 2,

formed with sides 1),

which are secured to the downwardly-bent portion of the partition. Thesewings are formed with alined openings 9, leading to the chamber formedbetween said wings, and the rim of the box is formed with an opening 10,communicating with said chamber. The lower ends of the said wings I) arebent outwardly, forming flanges 12, which can be glued or otherwisesecured to the partition. The sides 0 and d of the partition are formedwith a number of curved slots, through which extend a number ofcorrespondingly-eurved guides 4., forming channels which commence at apoint near the apex formed by the junction of said sides and curvegradually forward right and left and downward toward the ball pocket orchamber between the wings 3.

The numeral 5 designates bars journaled to the front and rear guides ofeach side 0 and d, which overhang the inner ends of the intermediateguides. These bars are provided with laterally-extending fingers 6, thefirst two of which, counting from the front, nominally lie in thechannels, while the third finger of each series is formed with a hookedend.

A stop 7 a in the form of a wire staple is inserted in the apex of thepartition a short distance in the rear of the center of the box and isrearwardly flanked by deflec tingnvings 8.

It is evident that a vast variety of games may be played with thisdevice, one of which requiring more than ordinary judgment andskill,will now be described. Two players being engaged, one is suppliedwith three balls or marbles of a certain color, while the other has thesame number of a contrasting color. The first player places aball in thefront end of the trough 3 and flips it with his finger, endeavoring toregulate the force and direction in such manner as to drive it into themost distant channel on his side, whereby it will be arrested by thehook-ed finger. If he should succeed in placing the three balls in thatmanner, he is entitled to demand his opponents balls and continue hisplay. It is obvious that if a ball should not have sufficient impulse orthe proper direction it will stop short and inevitably gravitate intoone of the near channels and return to the player through one of theopenings 9 and the 0pening 10 in the front of the box. In that event theplayer gives way to his opponent. It will IOO also be understood thattl'iough a player may place one or two balls as desired, if the third orlast ball should fail and run into one of the nearer channels it willpass under one of the straight fingers, thereby raising the hookedfinger and permitting the other balls to escape. The other player thenproceeds to play.

In the performance of difficult games the box should be held in the lefthand. By varying its position the force as well as the direction of theball may be greatly modified. For easier exercises the box may be placedon a table and the game be accordingly simplified.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a gameapparatus, the combination with the box, the sloping partition, and theball-tro ugh, of the downwardly and forwardly sloping curved guides atopposite sides of said partition, the pivoted bars at the inner ends ofsaid guides, provided with laterally-extending straight fingers, and atthe rear end provided with hooked fingers, substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

2. In a game apparatus, the combination with the box, having an openingin its rim, the forwardly and sidewise sloping partition, the centralstrip having its sides inclined downwardly from the center to the rear,the sides at the front end of said strip forming a ball-trough andextending downward and secured to the sloping partition and formed withball-openin gs, of the forward and downward extending curved guides ateach side of said strip, the bars pivoted to the inner ends thereof, andprovided with straight and hooked fingers, substantially as described.

3. In a game apparatus, the combination with the boic having an openingin its rim, the forward and sidewise sloping partition, the centralstrip having its sides inclined downward from the center to the rear,the sides at the front end of said strip forming a ball-trough andextending downward and sooured to said partition and formed withballopenings, of the forward and downward extending curved guides, thepivoted bars having straight and hooked fingers, the staple J and theinclined wings secured to the rear upper side of said strip,substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing l have hereunto set my hand,this 16th day of September, 1895, in the presence of witnesses.

FRANK L. DECKER.

Vitnesses CHARLES BISHOP, ISAAC ALLERTON.

